Matthew

Last Exit: Headfirst Into The Flames -- Live in Europe

Sonny Sharrock: Black Woman

Sonny Sharrock: Ask The Ages. Great album

Bo Hansson: Lord of the Rings.

A lot of baseball people over the years talk about how the way Billy Martin handled the 1981 Oakland A's staff, scared everyone off of the old-time, pitchers do complete games mentality. Just three years afterwards, and the pitchers were mostly done. Ever since, that staff has been held up as a prime example of the need to be careful. Billy Martin was a crazy genius, or maybe just a nut-case.

I wonder if we'll ever see someone pitch over 300 innings in a season again, it used to be common.

This Our Exile: Short Stories by Joshua Hern

Might work with the small Philly park, Harper's numbers could get very high there. The Andrew McCutchen signing doesn't make sense, saw him all last year with the Giant's, and he's way past his prime. Seems to be a great guy to have on a team though, always gave it all on the field, we'll see if he has anything left in the tank.

The Devil's Advocate by Morris West. I really didn't expect too much going into this book, just a light vacation read, but there is an old style humanism to it that I find attractive.

Silence: A User's Guide: Volume 1 -- Process by Maggie Ross. Interesting how "mindfulness" and silence are hot topics in philosophy & spirituality now, it seems a ton of books are being released -- kind of a resistance movement against modern media, and the psychic toll they cause, that is taking place.

John Mark McMillan: Live at the Knight

The Sparrow: Mary Doria Russell

Kamasi Washington: Heaven and Earth

Sometimes what seems easiest is the hardest, eg., no matter how hard I try, I make a totally crappy pot roast! I'm hopeless at it, and I know people who can't boil an egg, and they make a better pot roast that I do.

I still think the Giants have a shot if they get serious about signing Harper. The Giants are a really good fit for him, and, for some reason, I don't think the Yankees are -- but what do I know! It's just that Harper is good, really good, but to give him so much money for so long, has that ever worked out to a clubs advantage?

Also very bad air quality here in the Napa area, AQI is 181. Fires are scary things, they travel so fast and destroy so much...

The noise here in San Francisco is that the Giants are going to make a run at Harper. Makes sense, as he could be someone to build around, and the Giants have a desperate need for someone who is alive! The past two years, the Giants players have been dead; how I wished there was a hot-head around (other that Baumgartner going after Puig all the time) to put some fire in the players. Bochy likes a certain style of player, the Buster Posey type, who plays with no emotion, Harper would change that quick.

Something Wonderful: Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway Revolution by Todd S. Purdum

Can't tell you how many times I saw McCovey play as a Giant and Padre, it was a lot! Had such a graceful, looping swing, and when he connected, the ball seemed to jump off his bat. Sad to see him in a wheelchair in his final years, but he seemingly had a good attitude, and was always a gentleman, to use that old-time phrase.

Think Roberts wants to help Boston win another World Series. I've never liked the way Roberts manages, last year, when he called for a bunt in the 7th, during that 13-12 game, I was like

O.M.G. It was bad enough hearing about Hunter Pence all the time, now Sales! *puke*

Think it will be a high scoring game tonight. My call: 11-10 Dodgers. Book it Dano!

Hardly a classic game, way too much dead time where strikeouts, fly balls, and 3-2 counts ruled, but such is the game today. What is amazing, and so common no one says anything, but every pitcher was 95+ mph, back-in-the-day, that was very rare.

One out, bottom of the 9th, and you get picked off. Why??????????????????????